Revan's Shadow: Chapter Ten - En Route to Kashyyyk

Obtena was back on Tatooine. Back in the enclave... no, the walls were solid now. Dark muddy red stone. A building? Tusken. HK's voice saying it. Fort Tusken. This is where settlers first came into contact with the Sand People, however long ago.

The Sand People had known about the starmap. They were going to honour her gift of the krayt dragon pearl and show her where to find it...

Eyes half-opened groggily. Bastila's presence in her mind was minimal; she was still sleeping. The rest of Obtena's life was a blank slate for a few moments until recent events returned along with wakefulness.

Crawling out of her bunk in what had become her customary fashion, Obtena noticed Mission's bunk was empty as she made her way to Bastila. Had she seen the dream too? Apparently not. Still sound asleep. The dream had been hers alone. What did it mean? Obtena supposed Jedi had normal dreams like everyone else; perhaps she should be able to tell the difference, but she wasn't sure. It could have been a manifestation of guilt... no, that didn't feel right. It meant something, though. Something important. For a moment she wracked her brain, trying to imagine how things could have turned out differently. If she hadn't been linked to Bastila... hadn't trained as a Jedi... would she still be on this quest? Would she have had the dreams and been impelled to discover their meaning alone?

Ugh, why am I even here? I can't even tell what's going on in my own head!

Someone had been behind her, in the dream. A presence... another Jedi? A familiar presence, yet she couldn't identify it. All she was sure of was that it wasn't Bastila.

Looking at her now brought a different feeling. Not just companionship, but... comfort. Yesterday's makeup was mussed and faded, her hair loose and wild as it framed her face. Less than perfect, now, Obtena thought as she teased some of the hair from Bastila's perfect skin. Still so beautiful.

I must have it so bad to be thinking like this.

She leaned forward and gave Bastila's cheek the softest kiss she dared. As the padawan stirred, Obtena went back to fiddling with her hair. One of Bastila's eyes opened and observed this behaviour half-consciously for a moment, before the other eye followed suit. "What are you doing?" she whispered, stifling a yawn.

"Waking you up. I had a dream - an ordinary one, I think - and I woke up with a question."

Bastila stretched and sat up, pulling her hair from Obtena's grasp and trying to organize it into something vaguely presentable. "Go ahead."

Obtena watched Bastila for a moment without saying anything, then sighed and slid up to perch herself behind Bastila on the bunk. She took one of Bastila's hair bindings and starting combing through the aubern hair with her fingers. "Why did the council send me with you on this mission?"

"Why? I could hardly accomplish this on my own. I need the aid of others, especially others strong in the Force. The bond between us made you the natural choice." She frowned slightly as she felt her fellow padawan pull all her hair back into a single ponytail. It was how Obtena usually wore her own hair, especially since she started swinging her own lightsabers around. "Besides, events on Taris proved that the Force wanted to bring us - all of us - together for this mission, and there is little left to chance when the Force is involved. Is that not enough for you?"

Obtena finished tying the ponytail and leaned forward to whisper into Bastila's ear. "If the Force wants us to be together, why do you keep resisting my irrepressible charm?" she asked, adding a quick lick to Bastila's ear at the end.

Bastila shrugged Obtena off and twisted around to face her with a scowl. "I said we were brought together for our mission, to stop Malak. I hardly think the Force would be pushing us towards a romantic involvement, especially when the fate of the galaxy is at stake! Please try to stay focused; I doubt the council would approve if they knew we were busy discussing our attraction when we should be saving the galax-"

"Our attraction?" Obtena interrupted, trying not to laugh at the slip. "As in, our mutual attraction?"

"Mutual attraction?" Bastila stammered, blushing. "I never said... it was just... it's the bond! Whatever our feel... I mean... whatever your feelings, you have to try and ignore them. Finding the missing pieces of the starmaps is our only hope of locating the Star Forge and defeating Malak. The Council explained all this quite clearly."

"Hm." Obtena decided to let it go, though she couldn't keep the grin off her face. Instead, she grabbed a few more of Bastila's hairties and handed them to her before twisting around herself. Another short silence ensued as Bastila untangled the fasteners, and Obtena's thoughts sobered. "I just don't trust the council without knowing their full motives," she said as she shook her hair out. "I'm sure there's more to this entire state of affairs, something they're deliberately not telling us." Bastila pointedly focused on the fastener until the damn thing finally popped open. "You really have no problem with blindly following orders, do you?"

"I admit, there were times that I wondered if this is more than just a mission to stop Malak," Bastila explained as she began to comb and tie Obtena's hair in her own fashion. "There were times when I wondered if this was also a way for the Council to test my own abilities. I wondered if they wanted to see how I would help and guide you on our quest, if they were testing me to see if I was ready to take the next step, become a Jedi knight... and then I realized how foolish such thoughts were. As the council explained, sending a master in our group would only have drawn unwanted attention from the Sith. The fate of the galaxy is at stake. The council would not risk it merely to test me. They calculated the risks and, in the end, chose the best option available."

"I'm still not convinced," Obtena grumbled, wondering if Bastila was aware how conceited she was sounding.

"There, finished," Bastila told her, and Obtena swivelled to face her again. "You must learn to trust in the wisdom of the council. Your destiny will come in its appointed time. You musn't be so impatient."

"I'm not the one who thought this was her big audition for knighthood," Obtena countered before sticking her tongue out at her.

"Must you be so frustrating? I admit I had a moment of foolish pride, but it passed. Now I am focused on my true responsibilities." Bastila shook her head and familiar strands of hair came loose to hang down either side of her face. "I am simply trying to help you and complete this mission, an-"

"What, in that order?" Obtena interjected.

"...And yet you battle me at every turn!" Bastila fumed.

Obtena shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. "What can I say? It's fun," she giggled.

"Fun?" Bastila repeated, her voice rising. "Fun!? Driving me insane is your idea of a good time?"

Obtena's laughter grew in response. "Careful, remember your self-control..."

"You..." Bastila began heatedly, then paused and took a breath. When she spoke again, she sounded much calmer. "You are a very odd woman, do you know that? I simply don't know how to deal with you. All I want to do is help you, but you seem determined to drive me mad."

"You can't just take me as I am?" Obtena asked. Bastila didn't seem to have a ready reply. "Complain all you want, but I know you enjoy the challenge."

Bastila drew breath to deny it, but discovered the futility in such an effort as the bond between them - hummed, for lack of a better word - at Obtena's urging. Bastila caught her breath as the sensation almost... tickled her. She sighed. "I don't know if I should be outraged that you can keep joking about such serious matters," she replied, "Or if I should be grateful that you can always lighten my mood."

"Outraged might be a little extreme for a Jedi, don't you think?" Obtena asked. "Not that it's ever stopped you before, of course..." Bastila pursed her lips at this. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Feeling outraged about something can give you the strength and will to do something about it. You just have to be careful which way that works. Getting mightily annoyed about an injustice can help put it right; but feeling the same about justice can help put it wrong, if you see what I mean."

"The Jedi are aware that many things depend greatly on one's point of view," Bastila replied. "And also, that there are few absolutes. However, I think you'll agree that Jedi - and dark Jedi - are closer to one end of the spectrum or the other than most people."

"Because they bear greater power than most, I suppose. I think in the end that's what keeps me in line more than your constant nagging. Actually, it was something you said that made me start thinking about it. You and I are the lynchpin in this whole damn war. I think the outcome still swings in the balance, because I'm still..."

"Behaving like an ordinary person," Bastila finished for her.

"And you're afraid I'll drag you down to my level. Are you afraid we'd both fall to the dark side if you became as... neutral as I?"

"I think at first, I did," Bastila confirmed. "I'm... not so sure now." For a moment she considered saying more, then decided against it. Instead she moved into a cross-legged position and motioned Obtena to do the same. "Come, there's plenty left to be done. Let's do our morning meditation while we wait for the others to wake."

"I still think a cup of Carth's caff has the same effect..." Obtena mumbled, and was gratified to see Bastila's lips almost twist into a smile at the thought.